Wizard of the Abyss - Chapter 166

WETRIED TRANSLATIONS

Wizard of the Abyss

[Translator – Aren]

Chapter 166 - Resident (2)

"Do you remember the burden that changed your voice?”

"Ah, right, there was something like that.”

No one else but Dercia, who was an elf, noticed it. A burden that made my voice echo as if I were speaking underwater.

It didn’t really interfere with my daily life, and since no one else noticed, it never came up again. Even I had completely forgotten about it.

But when she heard it, Sharmia’s eyes widened in surprise.

"...Huh?"

"What is it?”

"Now that you mention it… Your voice does sound a little strange.”

"What?"

"Well, it sounds a bit more echoey than before. It was only subtle, so I didn’t notice.”

"Didn’t you say you didn’t remember?”

"...Just now.”

Dismissing her act, it seemed that the burden had progressed far enough that even humans could perceive it.

Still, it wasn’t pressure, and it wasn’t the currents. but just a faint resonance in my voice. Was that really such a serious issue?

When I looked at Dercia with that thought in mind, she tapped her ear lightly and sighed.

"I possess far keener hearing than humans. I can clearly distinguish the difference in your voice before and after the infiltration mission. And now, the change has progressed to the point that even someone with ordinary hearing can tell the difference if they concentrate.”

"I don’t quite understand. Is that really a problem?”

"Jern."

Dercia spoke in a noticeably stern tone.

"That is less a burden and more a warning sign."

"A…warning sign?”

"Yes. Put mildly, it’s nothing more than a change in your voice. Compared to the far more horrific burdens you’re already experiencing, it may seem insignificant. But this is one burden that we, not you in the Abyssal Sea, can perceive.”

Unless I deliberately crushed Dercia with the Abyssal Sea itself, she wouldn’t be able to tell that I had fallen.

However, my echoing voice was easy to notice. She’d already said it sounded off.

"The princess simply described it as echoey, but it sounded quite different to me.”

"How so?”

"...Distant.”

"Huh?"

"If I were to close my eyes and guess your position, I’d think you were dozens of paces behind me. It sounds far away…”

As she spoke, Dercia rubbed her chin, then shook her head.

"No. That’s not quite right. If I had to describe it precisely, it sounds like it comes from the depths.”

Only then did I begin to grasp what she meant.

"May I check for myself?”

"Yes."

I took a deep breath, then used Tide Sense to scan the surrounding deep-sea creatures.

New presences revealed themselves. As always, just when I thought I had seen them all, the Abyssal Sea produced something bizarre enough that I couldn’t ever stop expanding my mental Pokedex.

However, that didn’t mean their numbers were increasing. They always gathered in roughly the same numbers, drifting together and exchanging strange sounds signifying their language.

What appeared this time was something like an anglerfish that polluted the sea with green slime. It was unusual enough to merit an entry in the Pokedex, but instead I focused my perception.

Upward.

"...Hmm."

A dull headache crept in, but I pushed my Tide Sense upward with everything I had.

When I reached nearly the absolute limit of my Tide Sense, something finally came into view.

Eels twisting their bodies as they swam, jellyfish drifting with the currents, and several shark-like creatures shaped like snakes.

...All of them were already recorded in the bestiary.

Unlike the surroundings, which were filled only with deep-sea creatures that I didn’t know.

"How is it?”

Dercia asked, wearing a worried expression, once I returned to reality.

"...I saw new deep-sea creatures.”

"And above?”

"I saw familiar ones.”

Dercia shook her head and let out an even deeper sigh. Beside her, Sharmia tilted her head and asked,

"So…erm, does that mean Jern’s condition is bad? I’m not sure I understand.”

"All the deep-sea creatures I usually see were far above me."

"I get that, but couldn’t they have just moved upward to feed or something?”

"No. These creatures don’t really act for survival. They just drift around, searching for something. They don’t normally rise upward.”

"But you saw them above…”

"Yes."

If they hadn’t moved…

Then there was only one possible explanation.

"I sank down.”

"...You sank down?”

"The burdens of the Abyssal Sea definitely worsen with time. Just like every other Fallen’s. Jern is no exception.”

Dercia explained to Sharmia, who still looked confused.

"However, I had never considered how his burdens deepen. But based on what we’ve just observed, it’s surprisingly simple.”

"Ah..."

"Jern is literally falling into deeper layers of the Abyssal Sea as time passes.”

It was that simple.

The deeper I sank, the more burdens manifested.

"But if he’s been falling this whole time, isn't this no different than before? You’ve just noticed it now, haven’t you?”

"This time is different. As I said earlier, due to my race’s traits, I can sense even extremely subtle changes.”

Dercia crushed the princess’ objection without the slightest bit of hesitation.

"There is a clear difference compared to before. Even now, at this very moment, Jern’s voice is sinking further and further into the depths.”

"Wh-what?”

"Until now, Jern has lived on what could be called the ‘floor that isn’t actually the floor’ of the Abyssal Sea. He was sinking, but at such a slow rate that distinguishing the difference between yesterday and today was nearly impossible. But ever since the infiltration, no, since just now, he has been sinking as though weights have been tied to his feet…”

Dercia stared at me, rubbing her chin as she continued.

"What used to take a week to notice has happened within 10 minutes. Rather than acceleration, this is like a true fall.”

"Then…”

"Let’s return to the beginning. I don’t know.”

Frowning, Dercia let out words heavy with helplessness.

"I never once considered your condition worsening to this extent. Given the power of your Water Partition and the Abyssal Sea manipulation you’ve developed so far…I was certain you’d endure until we found a solution. But at this rate, even if I multiplied myself a thousandfold, I doubt we’d find any viable method in time.”

Leaving the stunned Sharmia behind, Dercia turned her gaze to me.

"That is why I needed to hear everything. Having paid such a price, you had to bring back a way to slow the burdens from Scarlet Abyss. But from what I hear, aside from the World-Sealing Elixir, there doesn’t seem to be any other option.”

"If I take the World-Sealing Elixir—"

"It will work at first. However, the speed at which your burdens progress far exceeds that of ordinary Fallen. Before long, unless you consume hundreds of them every second, you’ll end up no different than before.”

"...I see."

"Jern. Now is not the time to concern yourself with Scarlet Abyss.”

Derica stepped closer and grasped my head firmly.

"Do you remember what I said to you the first time we spoke?”

"Hm. Yes.”

"We will handle everything else. Struggle. You have always turned the impossible into the possible. This time, we need that miracle again.”

And unlike her usual self, she gave an answer rooted not in logic, but in emotion and tenacity.

She even put the word ‘miracle’ in her mouth, which she would never do normally.

I swallowed hard and nodded.

"I’ll remember.”

...Because that meant there were no remaining options left but that.

* * *

After the conversation ended, I was assigned a room within the Imperial Palace.

"I’m sorry. Based… on what you told us. I need to begin drafting countermeasures immediately. I won’t be able to help you right now.”

"That’s fine. Honestly, I’d be angry if you were to focus on me right now.”

Accepting Sharmia’s apology, I reminded myself that I wasn’t in a position to compromise her cause over the life of a single child.

"For now, just remember the resolve you showed me earlier.”

"...Yes. I will definitely achieve it.”

Then she shook her head.

"Though I don’t actually remember what that resolve you’re talking about is.”

"..."

She must have felt embarrassed.

Having even been assigned servants, I was given a room on the highest floor of the palace and granted complete freedom within it.

"If you need anything, please let us know.”

"...I’d like to be alone.”

"We’ll remain outside the door."

As expected of imperial attendants, they bowed elegantly and left.

Left alone in a room that could only be described as vast, I lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling, murmuring to myself.

"Survive, huh…”

It was something I had always done.

And precisely because of that, I had fallen into a trap.

I had always chosen the best possible path in order to survive. I took what I could get, developed my abilities, and responded to my burdens.

But because I had lived every moment doing my absolute best, being told that none of it mattered felt like bleach had been poured over my mind, turning it completely blank.

What was I supposed to do?

How was I supposed to move forward?

Dercia said she’d search through ancient documents to buy even a little time, but honestly, it would be difficult for that to procure anything meaningful.

"No, let’s start there.”

Shaking off the spiral of negative thoughts, I stood up and went back to the beginning.

It wasn’t like I didn’t gain anything from Scarlet Abyss.

The most significant thing I had obtained was the language of the deep-sea creatures.

Heavenly Balance had emphasized again and again that communicating with the deep-sea creatures was crucial. At the time, her priority had been reducing my burdens, and all she’d done toward the end was help me learn their language.

That wasn’t entirely the wrong direction… But I still didn’t understand why she had done it. It felt like if I understood that reason, something might change.

There had to be a reason an expert like her had been so obsessed with the deep-sea creatures.

"Come to think of it…”

In the past, future Sharmia had entrusted me with her memories.

I had shoved that aside since finding the young Sharmia had been more urgent, but—

After receiving those memories, the voices of the deep-sea creatures had suddenly become far clearer.

Should I test it?

[....Find it, you,...--, run away. Hungry, hungry……]

[...I’m searching. I will die……–, I will die. ??...I’m going to die.]

"...Hmm."

It was clearer. After receiving the memories, their speech sounded far more coherent.

But the content itself was rather unsettling, so it wasn’t something I especially wanted to listen to. Almost everything revolved around dying or killing. And it was hard to believe these creatures fully grasped those words.

It felt like they sort of understood but just sprouted whatever came into their minds, like muttering sleepwalkers.

Calling it a language was quite generous. It was closer to bubbles formed from screams mixed with eerie laughter.

Still, I listened for quite some time, hoping it might help in some way. It didn’t.

Was this the wrong approach? Clicking my tongue, I was about to release my Tide Sense when suddenly, a grotesque fish darted toward me at full speed and spat out something strange.

[Fell, fell.]

[Fell…?]

As if it had a duty to spread the news, the creature vanished in an instant.

And then, as if infected, the surrounding deep-sea creatures went mad, chasing after it and repeating the same words.

[It fell!]

[It fell! It fell!]

I froze for a moment.

Because those words were painfully familiar.

Those screams had remained in my head as an incredibly eerie memory. I heard them before I understood their language.

...When I had spilled my blood into the sea, they had screamed those same words as they rushed toward me in a frenzy.

"...Hmm."

I expanded my Tide Sense in the direction they were swimming.

I had never seen this movement before.

Different species of deep-sea creatures gathered into a single mass and moved toward one place. It looked less like the majesty of Mother Nature and more like a procession of a hundred demons. A truly horrifying sight.

Some of them were crushed by the pressure midway and became snacks for other deep-sea creatures. The place they were all heading toward lay almost at the very edge of my Tide Sense’s range.

What in the world could be there?

With a reaction like this, was it another Fallen of the Abyssal Sea? Had a companion appeared?

My thoughts stopped in their place when my Tide Sense brushed against something that was neither a deep-sea creature nor human.

"...What is this…?”

I tilted my head in disbelief at what I found. There was—feed.

[It fell!]

Small, white, spherical bits of food were floating up through the sea, and the deep-sea creatures were frantically devouring them.

It must have been feeding time. Feeling the tension drain out of me, I found myself wondering what kind of feed it was and caught one of them with my currents to examine it.

A white, spherical pellet.

As I inspected it, I suddenly felt it vibrate. Startled, I flung it away.

"What the hell is this?”

-Rip!

Unable to withstand the impact, the pellet tore open, revealing what was inside.

Something wiggled out from within the shell, gradually swelling in size.

[G-ghk.]

I narrowed my eyes in bewilderment as I gazed at a fully grown shark.

So that was why these deep-sea creatures keep increasing in number without ever mating.

The deeper I sank into the Abyss, the more secrets one uncovered, huh? Sighing, I watched the shark and waited to see if it would say anything.

Maybe there was some secret in the words deep-sea creatures spoke the moment they were born.

[Ghk, Gogohk. Ghk...]